Merry Christmas! I've been working on this all week instead of doing the things I should be doing like wrapping presents, so here's my gift to you, and I hope you have a happy holiday!

Finn was driving her to absolute distraction. She knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. Everyone thought they were together, and unless they wanted to stop sleeping in the same bed at night, they needed everyone to believe their relationship was real, but he was a very attractive man, add to that he was also one of her best friends, and the constant affection he showered her with made her feel like she was going to either lose her mind or do something stupid like kiss him. He was constantly touching her, giving her light back rubs, hugging her, holding her hand, walking with his arm around her or resting a hand on her lower back.

One day when they were standing in the hall with some of their friends he grabbed her arm before she was about to walk away and she could have sworn for a minute he was going to kiss her. The way he'd looked at her had her heart pounding and her palms sweaty. Instead he'd kissed her forehead, which had been almost as bad. His soft lips against her skin for that brief moment left her feeling both elated and confused. She kept trying to remind herself that it wasn't real, but he made it hard to remember that when he wanted to cuddle with her on the couch even though no one else was around to see it.

As time passed their lives seemed to become even more intertwined, and then when they visited her mom for her birthday he asked her to officially make his apartment her home. She didn't know how to interpret that request. Yeah it would make things a little easier to have her things there since that was where they spent the majority of their time when they weren't travelling, but it wasn't necessary, they'd been managing things fine before. He'd made it clear he truly wanted her to move in, including giving her permission to change things around if she wanted to, and it felt like too much, but at the same time she wasn't going to say no. She didn't want to say no. She hadn't even given it much thought when he'd first asked, her first instinct was to agree, it wasn't until later that the reality of it sank in.

She desperately wanted to talk to someone about it, especially her mom, but she couldn't. Her mom didn't know the truth. In fact, her mom had adored Finn, and had been absolutely ecstatic that they were together, embarrassingly hinting at when they were going to take the next step. Thankfully Finn seemed to have been completely oblivious to her meddling, but her mom had been way too happy to help her box her stuff to be shipped out, and she was surprised he didn't notice even that.

The only person who did know the truth was Sasha, and Sasha thought she was out of her mind for having agreed to the arrangement in the first place. Sasha had pointed out on more than one occasion that they'd backed themselves into a corner, and they couldn't have a fake relationship for the rest of their lives. She thought they should have found another solution, one that didn't have them living a lie. Honestly Sasha didn't understand why they both felt like they couldn't sleep apart. She'd tried to explain it to her, but it wasn't easy. Sasha couldn't know what it was like to experience the escalating fear that had come from Finn's struggles with insomnia as it had gotten worse and worse, nor how awful it had been to see him looking so dead inside after the first two nights when they'd tried to sleep apart.

Of course Sasha hadn't said anything about it in a little while. She wasn't sure if Sasha had just finally given up, realizing she wasn't going to change her mind or what. She knew Sasha wasn't one to hold back her opinion, and she also couldn't see Sasha changing her mind on the subject either, so the silence confused her until Sasha confronted her one day while they were hanging out. Their last show had been close enough to Orlando that they'd driven down right after the show Monday night and Sasha had chosen to ride with them. She was staying with another friend, but today they'd made arrangements to spend the afternoon together while Finn was occupied with other things. Sasha had surprised her when she asked,

"So you and Finn have never done anything, not even kissed?"

"No, why are you asking that?"

"Because your whole thing with him just doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything you both do screams that your relationship is real, and I mean everything. The way he looks at you, the way you look at him. How he takes care of you, the way he's constantly touching you and genuinely wants to be around you all of the time. You live together, do everything together and it's not like it's something you put up with for the sake of maintaining the facade. You're both content with the way things are. After living with someone for months, sleeping in the same bed together every night without any benefit from it, the only explanation I can think of is he's in love with you and he either hasn't realized it yet or he knows but he's scared. And I damn sure know you're in love with him."

"What?"

"I know you better than almost anyone. Tell me you don't want him, that he doesn't make you all nervous when he wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you close like he's always doing. Tell me that you wouldn't be devastated if he suddenly met someone and wanted to end this thing you guys have got going on."

She was blown away. As always Sasha had boiled it all down in a matter of seconds. Everything she'd been feeling for weeks, every little touch that had confused her and excited her and left her feeling completely lost. It couldn't be real, could it? How could she have fallen in love with him without even realizing it? The thought of him meeting someone had never occurred to her, but Sasha was right, even just thinking about it felt like a punch in the gut, made her want to rip the imaginary woman's head off. He was hers.

"Oh God." She was in love with him. What the hell was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to go home and act like everything was normal, that she hadn't just had her whole world shifted on it's axis? What if he didn't feel the same? She would lose him. She couldn't lose him, he was her everything. She felt full on panic set in, her brain moving so fast that the rest of her couldn't keep up. As anxiety began to choke her, Sasha intervened,

"Hey, sweetie, it's alright. Please don't freak out. He's in love with you too, I'd bet my life on it, the only thing I'm not sure of is whether he's realized it yet, and if the two of you have made it this far, then I know you'll work this out. I didn't mean to scare you, it's just that I've been so afraid that you were going to get hurt, that this whole thing was going to end up in disaster, but I couldn't help but see what you two are like together, and the more I watched you the more convinced I became that you were both using the whole fake relationship as an excuse to cover up your real feelings."

"I didn't know."

"Oh I know that, I'm not saying either one of you were doing it on purpose. I'm the only one on the outside who knows the truth, so I'm the only one who can see things clearly."

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"That's up to you sweetie, but I think you need to tell him."

"But even if he does feel the same, you said he probably hasn't even realized it yet, what if I freak him out?"

"I don't know. I guess you could try feeling him out first? I noticed he's the one who initiates a lot of the touchy feely stuff, maybe you could try doing that?"

"Okay. Oh God, that's going to feel really weird though if I have to think about it too much."

"Well don't think about it, just do it."

"I guess I can try."

"Just don't put off telling him too long, I know you, the more you put it off the harder it will be."

After that Sasha tried distracting her to keep her mind off of it, and they avoided the subject of Finn for the rest of the day.

That night she felt really weird around Finn. She tried not to think about it, but she wasn't very successful. He kept looking at her like he was trying to figure her out and she knew he must have picked up on her discomfort. She knew she was doing the exact opposite of what her and Sasha had talked about, but she wasn't sure how to fix it. It wasn't until Finn suggested that they chill on the couch with some Netflix for the evening that she finally figured out what to do.

Normally she started off sitting a few inches away and Finn was the one who would pull her close so they could relax against each other, but this time she waited until he sat down and then sat right next to him and laid her head against his shoulder. He'd been startled, but obviously pleased as he wrapped his arm around her so that she fit even more snugly against him, and she felt like she was on cloud nine. After the day's revelations she was conscious of every little thing between them and she noticed a whole lot of things that she now realized she'd been purposefully ignoring before like how intoxicating the scent, the feel of him was and how he would absently rub light little circles on her skin with his thumb. When a scene on the screen got particularly gruesome she buried her face into his chest and she felt him jump, but then he cupped her head with his hand, and she felt him lightly kiss the top of her head. She relaxed into his warmth and after that she hadn't wanted to move, so she let herself drift off to the sound of his heartbeat under her ear.

From then on she found it easier to initiate the affection between them like her and Sasha discussed. Sasha had been right that Finn had been the one who'd taken the lead before, but now that she knew that it was a lot easier to participate. Sometimes she would beat Finn to the punch like she had on the couch and sometimes she would find little ways to turn the affection on him. She would lightly run her nails on his back or a thank him with a kiss on the cheek. At first she knew she surprised him a few times, but he easily adjusted and seemed quite happy with the change in her behavior. She hoped that meant Sasha was right about how he felt.

...

Finn was having a great day. They were spending their day off in Orlando again, something they did fairly frequently now that they'd made their living arrangements official. He'd woken up as always with Bayley snuggled into him and though he'd had his usual reaction to it, she'd still been asleep so he got to really enjoy it for a little while without having to worry about moving before she noticed it.

Something had been different lately with Bayley, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it wasn't a bad different. It felt like she'd relaxed around him more. It was great though it didn't always help with his ongoing struggle to not kiss her. It had got to the point where he sometimes wondered how she would react if he just did it instead of fighting himself all of the time, but he kept trying to remind himself that she wasn't really his girlfriend like the whole world thought. What she was was his best friend, and giving into that urge might be amazing for a minute, but it could also ruin that. He told himself to be content with what he already had, and he was mostly successful with that.

He'd been working on a project at the PC with Matt and occasionally with Hunter, learning more about the production side of the business every chance he got, and he felt like today had been gone very well. He, Matt and a couple of other people from the PC were sitting around after having taken a break for lunch, talking about various things when the discussion had turned toward the women's wrestlers, how much things had evolved over the last few years, and which of them had the potential to make huge contributions to the business both in the ring and out of it. A lot of names had been thrown out and of course Bayley's was one of them. After all She'd held both the Raw Women's Championship and the NXT Women's Championship among her many accomplishments, was a part of the four horsewomen, and had also been one of the women who'd taken a strong interest in learning the behind the scenes rolls. However when Finn suggested she was among the forerunners to make the biggest impact Matt had laughingly said,

"Not that I don't agree with you Finn, but you do know that no one would take your opinion seriously on that right?" Finn had been genuinely confused for a minute and said,

"Why?"

"Because, man, you're in love with her."

The statement shouldn't have made that big of an impact. It was what they'd been telling everyone for months now, but it felt like his whole world had shifted out from under him. The problem was that he was in love with her, for real in love with her, and he hadn't even realized it. The shock must have been written on his face because Matt had leaned forward and turned away from everyone in an attempt to make the conversation more private, lowering his voice he said,

"Did you not know that or have you just not told her yet?" Finn didn't know what to say, he was still stunned, he kept opening his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Matt said,

"How could you not know that? You asked her to move in with you, that's not exactly a small step." At the time that he'd asked her that, he really thought it was just for the convenience, but now that he thought about it was probably more so that he could have her be as much a part of his life as possible. He'd probably subconsciously done a lot of things to ensure that she was connected to him. He couldn't tell Matt that though so he tried to explain,

"No I didn't. I knew I cared about her a lot, but we hadn't got that far."

"Well, damn. You should tell her man."

"Yeah, I guess I should," he said absently his mind still lost in the revelation and what that meant. Matt turned back to the rest of the conversation and left him to his thoughts.

That night he was really out of it, still processing what being in love with her could mean. She'd been happy to see him as always, giving him a hug and quick kiss on the cheek when she saw him. She'd had her hands full when she'd come in the door, and the hug had been with one arm as he helped her, taking some of the bags. She'd picked dinner up for them and was chatting away about what she'd got and how her day had gone, being her usual bubbly self. He'd noticed that she did that a lot more frequently now, touching him more and being more absently affectionate, and he wondered if it was possible that she could feel the same. She'd obviously had a very good day, and as they ate dinner he was able to soak in a little of her sunshine, amazed that he'd never noticed before how she made him feel. She'd been happy to end the evening cuddling together on the couch, and he couldn't help but think about what they would look like from an outsider's perspective and contemplate if her body language reflected her true feelings.

The next morning he woke up extremely early, his mind still anxiously processing everything and what he was going to do. He knew he had to do something. He couldn't leave things as they were now, but he kept changing his mind about how he should do it. He reluctantly left her sleeping in the bed once he'd started to get restless so he wouldn't wake her, and decided he would make breakfast. He'd really only got the coffee made and was prepping the ingredients when he heard her stirring. He poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her when she walked into the room. She smiled at him all soft and sweetly, her hair a mess, and he felt his chest tighten and his heart skip a beat. She turned away to doctor her coffee and when she turned back he couldn't stop himself. He put his hand over hers on the coffee cup and guided it to the counter to set it down, staring intently into her eyes as he did it. As soon as her hands were free he pulled her to him and he kissed her.

It was amazing, to finally feel her sweet lips on his, to hear that little gasp of surprise then the moan of pleasure that followed, he was in heaven. He deepened the kiss, seeking her tongue with his and she responded, kissing him back with equal fervor. He ran his hands up her back and pulled her even closer, so he could feel all of her body against him, and for once not worrying about if she could feel his natural reaction to her.

...

She'd still been half asleep when he kissed her. She'd been mesmerized by the look in his eyes, but confused as well when he'd pushed her coffee way, and she never would have imagined that the next thing she'd feel was his lips on her. It didn't take long for her to get lost in his kiss, in the way he felt against her and his fingers in her hair, in his tongue entangling with hers making her weak with want.

When they were both in need of air he pulled away from her mouth, and she wanted to protest despite the fact that she was gasping for breath as much as he was, until he started kissing across her jaw and down her neck instead. She tilted her head back, giving him better access, moaning with the pure pleasure of it. She was completely consumed with the way he made her feel, her skin burning from his touch as he trailed his fingers across the backs of her arms, her shoulders, her back. His fingers continued down until he cupped her ass with both hands and he pulled her completely against him, letting her feel all of him, his arousal pressing against the juncture of her legs. She could feel a slow burn starting in her belly growing with every touch, as sparks of desire shot up throughout her body, and she was so lost to it that he could have taken her right there standing in the middle of the kitchen if he'd wanted to, but he pulled back. He was breathing hard as he looked at her, and even if his body wasn't already telling her how much he wanted her, his eyes would have given it away, they were dark, intense, completely focused on her.

He cupped her face with one hand and his eyes softened as he said, "I'm in love with you Bayley. Somewhere along the way I fell and I fell hard without even realizing it. I want this to be real. I want to be able to kiss you, and I want to make love to you, and I want all of the messy, complicated, wonderful things that come with a real relationship. I need more than just your friendship and your affection, I need you, all of you and I want to give you all of me, if you'll have me."

She was speechless, couldn't find the words. She'd been hoping, praying, waiting for this, for him to realize that what they had was something special, but now she couldn't seem to form a sentence. The emotions overwhelmed her and tears filled her eyes. He immediately brought his other hand up to her face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs, comforting her even though she could see the uncertainty in his face. She tried again to speak through the lump in her throat, but when she couldn't she gave up and instead kissed him, pouring everything she couldn't say into it.

She surprised him and it took him a moment to catch up but once he did he didn't hesitate to return the kiss and take it even further. She'd wanted him for a long time, and now that she knew how he felt about her she had no objections when he broke away from the kiss and tugged at the hem of her tank top. She helped him take it off of her, feeling that slow burn in her belly again just from the way he looked at her as he reached out to touch her. His hands on her breasts felt amazing as he gently stroked them and her breath caught when he put his mouth on them, sucking on one nipple and then the other until she was moaning with pleasure. He cupped her ass again and lifted her up onto the counter to give him better access and she threw her head back, bracing herself on the counter as he grew rougher, more demanding, his hands running hotly across her skin.

She was so thoroughly engrossed in the way he was making her feel that he surprised her when he pulled her to him and off of the counter, letting her body slide against his until her feet hit the floor. When she looked up at him in question, his eyes burned into her as he said,

"I'm going to make love to you and I'm not doing that on the kitchen counter, at least not the first time."

His words made her feel heated, excited, elated, nervous with anticipation. He took her hand and pulled her with him to the bedroom, stopping once they reached the foot of the bed, and claiming her mouth with his. Her hands came up to his chest, sliding over the smooth, warm skin, then up and around his neck. He found the waistband of her loose cotton sleep pants and pushed at them until they fell and pooled at her feet leaving her completely naked. His hands slid over her hips caressing the skin, then around until he cupped her ass, lifting her up once again. She wrapped her legs around him and moaned at the feel of his arousal nestled firmly against her sex, only the thin material of his sweats between them. She rocked against him to increase the friction, both of them groaning with pleasure. He walked them the rest of the way to the bed and climbed onto it lowering her back against it before pushing his sweats off of his hips.

He dropped feverish kisses across her skin, starting at her chest and working his was downwards until he reached her sex. He slid his hands under and around her thighs and hips getting a good grasp on her. Her chest arched off of the bed, her fingers digging into the sheets as his mouth found her clit. She felt his fingers digging into her hips keeping her from moving too far, prolonging the pleasure that she couldn't and didn't want to escape. Her vision went white and she lost track of everything except for the feel of his mouth on her. She could feel her orgasm building and she sobbed when he moved away. He didn't release his grip on her hips, instead moving forward until he was on his knees in front of her, then pulled her hips to him and entered her. Her back arched off of the bed again as she cried out. He felt amazing, overwhelming and so, so good.

He started moving, the position giving her no option but to brace herself and take it which she was more than happy to do. Every time he hit bottom sent a shock wave through her of pure ecstasy, and it didn't take long for the sensation to overwhelm her, her orgasm rolling over her in intense waves of pleasure. When the sensation began to ebb she fell back against the bed almost limp. He was still moving within her, sending little aftershocks of pleasure through her, and he grabbed her and pulled her up against him so she now straddled his lap. His eyes were closed as he continued to move within her, his body coiled tight and she knew he was close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly, he opened his eyes and she caught his gaze with hers and spoke just above a whisper,

"I'm in love with you too."

The look of wonder on his face was amazing. Her heart tightened in response, and she felt full to the brim with love, desire, awe for him. His orgasm overtook him, and she held onto him riding it out with him before they both fell back onto the bed, bodies still entangled. When their breathing had slowed he pulled her back to his chest, cuddling her in the same position that they normally slept in. It was different with no clothing between, but enjoyable and their bodies were so conditioned to sleeping like that that it didn't take long for both to drift off.

...

He woke up in the same position that he always woke up in. He'd gotten accustomed to it and he knew waking up without her wrapped around him at this point would probably startle him more. She was naked and his body instantly recognized that fact and reacted accordingly. She stirred a little rubbing the inside of her thigh against the top of his leg and he knew he wasn't going to let her sleep much longer, even though he should because they hadn't gone to sleep until the early hours of the morning.

He barely slept at all, but then he hadn't been getting much sleep lately anyway, and it wasn't the fault of insomnia anymore. The blame could be laid on Bayley or more precisely on the fact that he couldn't get enough of her. His body was worn out and sore in places he didn't know he could be sore in, and that was despite the fact that he was an athlete in peak physical condition, but he really didn't mind.

He was a pretty happy person anyway, not the type to let things get him down, but the last couple of weeks had been hands down the happiest he'd ever been in life. She was amazing and that same connection, that chemistry, that they'd always shared as friends was also a part of the new physical aspect of their relationship. Now that he could, he didn't want to stop kissing her and the fire between them burned so hot that it was difficult for a kiss not to turn into more. Though as amazing as kissing and touching and loving her was, it wasn't just the physical aspects that had made him so happy. It was also being in love with her, being able to show that to the world, and having her love him back.

He ran his hand up her leg, over the outside of her thigh, and up over her ass rocking her against him, and he heard the low hum in her throat that was music to his ears. He kissed lightly across her face then nipped at her jaw with his teeth and she gasped. He whispered in her ear,

"You need to be punished," and she replied, her voice a little husky from sleep,

"What do I need to be punished for?"

"For the torture you put me through every time I woke up like this and couldn't do anything about it," he said as she tilted her head back letting him continue kissing and biting down her neck. He distracted her for a moment, but eventually she asked,

"Is this my punishment?"

"Yeah,"

"Well okay then, punish away," she said a mixture of joy and desire shining in her eyes, and he threw his head back and laughed. God he loved this woman, and he had to admit, if he was going to be losing sleep, well what a way to do it.